Fluid reservoir wiper assembly

ABSTRACT

A bottle assembly has a bottle for storing a fluid, such as a cosmetic fluid. An applicator for applying the fluid is configured to be insertable and removable from the bottle along a path. A sealing body is configured to seal the bottle. The sealing body has a channel width movable between a first width and a second width. The first width is large enough to accommodate the applicator and the second width is smaller than the first width. The channel is resiliently biased toward the second width.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Non-provisional applicationSer. No. 12/053,815 filed on Mar. 24, 2008, which is acontinuation-in-part to U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No.11/553,644 which was filed on Oct. 27, 2006.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a fluid reservoir having a wiper.

A commercial fluid container has a fluid reservoir for storing a fluid.There may be an inserter provided with the fluid container to check itsfluid level in the case of an oil reservoir for a vehicle or todistribute fluid from the container in the case of a mascara bottle. Forthese commercial products, the inserter is left in the reservoir forconvenience. Due to the viscosity of fluid, fluid will tend to collecton the inserter and may interfere with the accurate measurement of fluidor the controlled distribution of fluid. It may be desirable to withdrawthe inserter and wipe it clean of fluid prior to measuring or applyingthe fluid. This may be inconvenient, messy as well as wasteful.

For example, a dip stick, is used to measure oil in an oil pan or, morebroadly, an oil reservoir of a vehicle. Typically, the dip stick remainsinserted in a housing that is connected to the oil reservoir. The dipstick will typically have some markings, which serve to reflect thelevel of oil in the reservoir. During normal operation of the vehicle,oil will splash onto the dip stick at points that do not accuratelyreflect the oil level. When the oil level is checked, the dip stick isremoved from the housing and is typically wiped clean with a cloth. Thedip stick is then reinserted into the housing and then removed again toread the oil level, which then provides an accurate reflection of theoil level in the reservoir.

This technique for checking the oil level in a vehicle has itsdrawbacks. Specifically, the technique is messy. One must have readysome way to wipe the dip stick clean, which is typically a cloth, papertowel or rag. Also, the cloth or such used to wipe the dip stick must bethrown away because it is difficult or impractical to clean, bothwasting the cloth and causing the inconvenience of its disposal. Oil isalso wasted because oil on the dip stick is left on the cloth ratherthan returned to the oil reservoir.

There have been efforts to simplify this process. Electronic systemsexist that measure the level of oil in the vehicle. However, thesesystems are often unreliable or expensive. In addition, they normallyonly indicate if the level is low, not how low or how much oil isrequired to reach the proper level. Manual systems also exist thatinclude wiping mechanisms on the housing. Although preferable to wipingthe dip stick with a rag, these assemblies may be complicated, awkwardto use or expensive.

Another example of a commercial fluid container relates to theapplication and measure of a liquid, such as mascara and the like,housed in a bottle, including a brush or other applicator means, wherebythe user may decide a predetermined amount of liquid on the applicator.

As relates to the cosmetic industry, mascara is a standard manner inwhich eyes are decorated and enhanced by its application on eyelashes.Common in most all mascara products is a elongated enclosed bottle whichincludes a cap. Attached to the cap is typically a brush which descendsthe depth of the housing. Within the housing is an amount of mascaraliquid.

Because of the viscous nature of the mascara liquid, the brush wouldexit the bottle fully (and unevenly) loaded with mascara, making itimpractical for application to fine eyelashes. To address this problem,most cosmetic companies insert a rubber type plug into the opening ofthe housing. This plug itself has an opening, typically around 4 mm,which corresponds to the width of the brush. Ideally, upon removal ofthe brush from the housing, by passing through the opening in the plugthe brush will have a pre-determined contact with the opening with thegoal that the same amount of mascara will exit with the brush with eachremoval.

The problem with this system is that a compromise amount of mascara mustbe determined upon design and production. The opening is non-adjustableand therefore the user cannot increase or decrease the amount of mascaraon the brush. The cosmetic company determines a single measure as themiddle ground amount and the opening corresponds to that amount.

If the user should desire a larger amount of mascara, it would not bepossible to obtain a fully loaded brush with the one-size-fits-allopening. Nor, if so desired, can the user obtain a lesser amount ofmascara on the brush without using a tissue to manually wipe off thebrush.

Another problem is that mascara typically coagulates over time and afterrepeated use, as with air entering the housing, the liquid loses watercontent, becoming more viscous. The opening which may have suited newfree flowing mascara may no longer suit older thicker mascara andundesired clumps of mascara may remain on the applicator.

To remove this unwanted mascara, a user may wipe the applicator with atissue before its application. However, as a consequence of this design,the user must carry a tissue or other wipe for the applicator, wipe theapplicator, and then later dispose of the wipe after its use. Thesesteps are inconvenient for the user. Moreover, excess mascara is simplywasted. Given the relatively high cost of mascara, it would bepreferable to keep this excess mascara in the bottle until needed.

Additionally, this older thicker mascara, reduced in volume, may morereadily stick to the sides of the housing, making it impossible for thebrush to angle to reach it due to the restrictive nature of the plugopening. The undesired result is an unsatisfactory percentage of mascararemaining beyond the reach of the brush and so requiring the user todispose of the product before it is actually fully used.

Similar problems exist with other cosmetic fluids, such as lip gloss andnail polish, both of which also employ an applicator which obtains thecosmetic fluid from a bottle.

A need therefore exists for a fluid reservoir assembly that allows forthe adjustment of the amount of cosmetic fluid a which remains on theapplicator upon exiting the bottle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the invention comprises a dip stick assembly and relatedtechnique. The dip stick has a measure for reading the oil level of anoil reservoir of a vehicle. The dip stick is received in a housing,which allows the dip stick to be inserted into the oil reservoir. Tofacilitate cleaning, the dip stick has wipers attached to the housing.The wipers have an engaged position and a disengaged position. In theengaged position, the wiper is in contact with the dip stick. In thedisengaged position, the wiper is out of contact with the dip stick.

The wipers may be resiliently biased into the engaged position so thatthe dip stick is automatically wiped when removed from the housing. Ablock is provided to prevent the wiper from moving into the engagedposition. The block is moveable between a blocking position and anunblocking position. In the blocking position, the block maintains thewiper in the disengaged position, while, in the unblocking position, theblock permits the wiper to move to the engaged position.

The inventive dip stick assembly provides an automatic technique forcleaning the dip stick assembly. The dip stick is placed incommunication with an oil reservoir. The wipers are biased intoengagement with the dip stick. The wiper, however, is prevented fromengaging the dip stick by the block. The block is then removed to allowthe wiper to contact the dip stick and wipe it. The dip stick is thenreinserted. The block is returned to the blocking position and leftthere. When the dip stick is removed, the wipers remain in thedisengaged position, thereby allowing the dip stick to be removedwithout wiping, thereby providing a simple and inexpensive assembly andtechnique for cleaning and reading the dip stick.

Another aspect of the invention involves a cosmetic bottle for storing aliquid cosmetic. An applicator for applying the cosmetic fluid isprovided and is insertable and removable from the bottle along a path. Awiper for wiping the cosmetic fluid from the applicator is disposedwithin the bottle. The wiper has a first wiping position and a secondwiping position. The wiper is closer to the applicator in the firstwiping position than in the second wiping position when the applicatoris moved along the path. A block is configured to be disposed betweenthe wiper and the applicator. The block is configured to selectivelyallow the wiper to move between the first wiping position and the secondwiping position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The various features and advantages of this invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription of the currently preferred embodiment. The drawings thataccompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows:

FIG. 1 illustrates a version of the inventive dip stick assembly,including dip stick, housing, wipers and block.

FIG. 2 illustrates the dip stick assembly of FIG. 1 in which the wipersare in the engaged position to wipe the dip stick.

FIG. 3 illustrates the block of FIGS. 1 and 2 in a blocking position toprevent the wipers from wiping the dip stick.

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative version of the inventive dip stickassembly.

FIG. 5 illustrates a block and release of the version of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 illustrates another version of the inventive dip stick assemblywith dip stick in unblocking position.

FIG. 7 illustrates the version of the inventive dip stick assembly ofFIG. 6 with dip stick in blocking position.

FIG. 7A illustrates a plan view of the wiper support for the wipers ofthe dip stick assembly of FIGS. 5-7.

FIG. 8 illustrates the version of the inventive dip stick assembly ofFIGS. 6 and 7 with dip stick removed from its housing.

FIG. 9A illustrates another version of a dip stick assembly according tothe invention with wipers disengaged.

FIG. 9B illustrates the version of the dip stick assembly of FIG. 9Awith the wipers engaged.

FIG. 10A shows another version of the invention with wipers engaged.

FIG. 10B shows the version of the invention of FIG. 10A with wipersdisengaged.

FIG. 11 illustrates a version of the inventive cosmetic bottle assembly,including applicator, bottle, wipers and block.

FIG. 12 illustrates the cosmetic bottle assembly of FIG. 11 in which thewipers are in a first wiping position.

FIG. 13 illustrates the block of FIGS. 11 and 12 in a position to placethe wipers in a second wiping position.

FIG. 14 shows another view of the wipers and applicator of FIGS. 11-13.

FIG. 15 shows an alternative version of wipers.

FIG. 16 shows another a view of the wipers of FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 shows another view of the wipers of FIG. 15 and FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 shows an alternative version of a cosmetic bottle assembly withwipers in first wiping position.

FIG. 19 shows the cosmetic bottle assembly of FIG. 18 with wipers insecond wiping position.

FIG. 20 shows the cosmetic bottle assembly of FIGS. 18 and 19,highlighting the threading of the bottle.

FIG. 21 shows another version of a cosmetic bottle assembly with wipersin first wiping position.

FIG. 22 shows the version of the cosmetic bottle assembly of FIG. 21with wipers in second wiping position.

FIG. 23 shows another view of the cosmetic bottle assembly, includingapplicator handle.

FIG. 24 shows another version of a cosmetic bottle assembly.

FIG. 25 shows a sealing body of the cosmetic bottle assembly of FIG. 24.

FIG. 26 shows the sealing body of FIG. 25 with applicator disposedtherein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates inventive dip stick assembly 10. Dip stick assembly10 has an inserter, here dip stick 14, disposed in housing 18 as shown.Housing 18 is connected to oil reservoir 58 in a vehicle. Dip stick 14has markings 15 that permit the fluid level of oil reservoir to be readby dip stick 14 as known.

In contrast to existing assemblies, dip stick assembly 10 has wipers,such as wipers 22 and 24, which pivot between engaged position 26 asshown in FIG. 2 and disengaged position 30 as shown in FIG. 1. Wipers22, 24 are connected to housing 18 and are resiliently biased by springs27 to engaged position 26, which is in contact with dip stick 14 asshown in FIG. 2. Wiper 22 is connected to housing 18 at pivot 23 whilewiper 24 is connected to housing 18 at pivot 25. Within pivot 23 andpivot 25 are springs 27 that urge wiper 22 in the direction of arrow Aand urge wiper 24 in direction of arrow B when wiper 22 and 24 are inthe disengaged position 30 as shown in FIG. 1.

Maintaining wiper 22 and 24 from engaged position 26 is block 34. Block34 comprises a frustroconical hollow insert that is sized to be receivedwithin housing 18. Block 34 has inclined surface 62 that engages wipers22 and 24 and facilitates insertion of block 34 between wipers 22, 24.When block 34 is withdrawn in the direction of arrow E, as shown in FIG.2, to unblocking position 42, wipers 22 and 24 move in the direction ofarrow A and the direction of arrow B, respectively, because of theirspring bias toward engaged position 26. In engaged position 26, as shownin FIG. 2, wiper 22 and 24 contact dip stick 18 so that when dip stick14 is withdrawn, wipers 22 and 24 wipe excess oil off dip stick 14. Inthis way, wiper 22 and 24 automatically engage dip stick 14 so that dipstick 14 may be wiped simply by withdrawing block 34 and dip stick 14 inthe direction of arrow E. It will be appreciated that the blockingstructure may comprise any form which prevents the engagement of thewipers with the dip stick, in which the block may also be, by way ofexample, a flat projection. Furthermore, the housing for the wiper andblocking structure need not be circular, as is normal for the pipeleading into the oil reservoir, but may also be rectangular or square.Similarly, the wipers need not have the shape of standard wipers but mayadditionally be a resilient slot or an orifice which will retain orrevert back to its original shape or position after a blocking structureis inserted in order to perform the repeated function of wiping the dipstick in a subsequent oil check. A wiper then is any structure whichperforms the function of wiping.

As shown in FIG. 2, wiper 22 and 24 are located within housing 18. Thispermits oil wiped from dip stick 14 to be returned to oil reservoir 58because wiped oil remains in housing 18. After dip stick 14 is withdrawnin the direction of arrow E, it may then be reinserted into housing 18by moving it in the direction of arrow F. Now, dip stick 14 is exposedto oil reservoir 58 after having been wiped by wiper 22 and 24.

Block 34 is releasably coupled to dip stick 14 by catches 84, 86, whichare formed as part of cap 100. Cap 100 is connected to dip stick 14.Block 34 is shown in unreleased position 54 in FIGS. 1 and 2. Cap 100and catches 84, 86 are made of a resilient material, such as plastic.Release 46 is slideably received in cap 100 and may move in thedirection of arrow F to apply pressure to break 102, which is a channelin the plastic to permit flexing of catches 84, 86 in the direction ofarrows C and D, respectively. To prevent dip stick 14 from being wipedagain, as shown in FIG. 3, release 46 is actuated by depressing it inthe direction of arrow F. This action causes catches 84, 86 to bendresiliently in the direction of arrow C for catch 84 and in thedirection of arrow D for catch 86. Catches 84 and 86 accordingly pivotaway from block 38 to release block 34 to released position 50 whereinblock 34 is no longer coupled to catches 84 and 88 and consequently dipstick 14. Hence, when dip stick 14 is moved in the direction of arrow Eand lifted from housing 18, as shown in FIG. 3, block 34 is left inblocking position 38 to prevent wiper 22 and 24 from contacting dipstick 14, maintaining wipers 22, 24 in disengaged position 30. Hence,when dip stick 14 is withdrawn, wipers 22 and 24 will not wipe dip stick14. Dip stick 14 may then be withdrawn with oil unwiped from dip stick,thereby allowing dip stick 14 to be read for an accurate measurement ofoil in oil reservoir 58. As shown, block 34 has a hollow 64 that permitsdip stick 14 to slide freely within block 34 when block 34 is releasedfrom cap 100.

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative version of the inventive dip stickassembly. Here, dip stick assembly 70 has block 60. Block 60 hasinclined surface 62 as well as curved portion 66. Like block 34, block60 is hollow and slideably receives dip stick 14. Cap 96 is secured todip stick 14. Furthermore, assembly 70 has release 92 that whenactuated, moves catch 94 by lever 97 in the direction of arrow D torelease block 34 from engagement with cap 96. Ball bearings are providedon cap 96 to permit block 60 to be slideably received within cap 96.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, wipers 74 and 78 are attachedexternally to housing 18, thereby permitting wipers 74 and 78 to beadded to a vehicle in the aftermarket. They are mounted by fastener 100,which has springs that are attached to housing 18 and arms 108. As inthe previous version, wiper 74 and 78 are resiliently biased to engagedip stick 14 when dip stick is inserted. Dip stick 14 is operated in thesame way as dip stick assembly 10.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate another version of the inventive dip stickassembly. Dip stick assembly 200 has dip stick 208 disposed in housing220, which is connected to an oil reservoir as known. Dip stick 208 islong enough to extend into the oil reservoir to accurately gauge the oillevel. Disposed in housing 220 is wiper support 226, which is locked inplace to prevent movement in the direction of arrows I or J or rotationin the direction of arrows G or H. Wiper support 226 has wipers 204.Like the other versions of the invention, dip stick assembly 200 haswipers 204 resiliently biased into engagement with dip stick.

In FIG. 6, dip stick 208 is wiped by lifting dip stick 208 in thedirection of arrow J. This action causes dip stick 208 to be wiped bywipers 204, which are resiliently biased into engagement with face 212and face 216 of dip stick 208. Face 212 and face 216 has markings, suchas a standard gauge for measuring oil level. Hence, faces 212 and 216 ofdip stick 208 are cleaned before reinsertion into oil reservoir. Dipstick 208 is returned to a position where it is in contact with the oillevel by lowering dip stick 208 in the direction of arrow I. Dip stick208 is guided by guide 224 that has hole 228 shaped to receive matingcomponent 232 so that when mating component 232 is returned to hole 228,face 212 and face 216 are in contact with wipers 204. This featureensures the correct orientation of dip stick 208 and its faces 212, 216relative to wipers 204 so that wipers 204 may contact face 212 and face216 to clean the surfaces of oil.

Also, the cleaning of dip stick 208 may be done without removal of dipstick 208 from housing 220, thereby ensuring wiped oil remains withinhousing 220. Dip stick 208 is provided with upper stop 236 and lowerstop 240. Upper stop 236 prevents dip stock 208 from traveling in thedirection of arrow I beyond the point where dip stick 208 is calibratedwith markings so that dip stick 208 will accurately measure the oillevel. Guide 224 holds upper stop 236 at this point by preventing stop236 from passing through hole 228 because of hole 228's tapering shape.Lower stop 240 prevents dip stick 208 from being removed from housing220 by its interference with wiper support 226.

FIG. 7A illustrates a plan view of housing 220 and wiper support 226 inthe direction of arrow I, as shown in the position of FIG. 6. As can beseen, wiper support 226 has a base 241 with hole 242 which is shaped andsized like wiper support 240 but, in this position, rotated about ninetydegrees (90°) from the mating shape of wiper support 240. In thisposition of FIGS. 6 and 7A, wiper support 240 is blocked from movingpast base 241. Hence, upper stop 232 is prevented from traveling beyondguide 224 while lower stop 240 is prevented from traveling past base 241of wiper support 240. In this way, dip stick 208 can be pumped down inthe direction of arrow I and pulled up in the direction of arrow J toclean dip stick 208 without removing it completely from its housing. Itwill be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that wipers 204must contact dip stick 208 at a point low enough so that when lower stop240 is at the point of base 241, wipers 204 will have wiped all of thelevel markings.

Guide 224 is rotatably mounted to housing 220 to allow its movement inthe direction of arrows G or H but to prevent its movement in thedirections of arrows I or J. As shown in FIG. 7A, stops 300 and 302 areprovided on wiper support 226 or, alternatively, on housing 220, so thatguide 224 may rotate 90 degrees between position X and position Y. Stops300 and 302 may be detents. As shown in FIG. 7, to read dip stick 208following wiping, guide 224 is rotated from position shown in FIG. 6 inthe direction of arrow G, say 90°. Rotation to position X causes dipstick 208 to block wipers 204 from engaging face 212 and face 216 of dipstick 208. Also, as shown in FIG. 7A, lower support 240 will likewise berotated to position X by rotation of guide 224 to this position so thatlower stop 240 may now pass hole 242. Lower stop 240 should be sized topass freely through hole 228 too. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 8, whendip stick 208 is withdrawn with guide 224 in the direction of arrow D,dip stick 208 may then be read without having oil wiped off by wipers204.

FIG. 9A illustrates another version of the invention. As shown, dipstick 300 is disposed in housing 304, which is only partially shown.Here, the invention is shown schematically but one of ordinary skill inthe art would understand that housing 304 may surround dip stick 300 asknown. Housing 304 has block 308, which is here a protrusion extendingfrom its surface toward dip stick 300. Wiper 312 is shown out of contactwith dip stick 300 and resting on block 308. Wiper 312 may beresiliently biased away from contact with dip stick 300. Further, wiper312 is pivotally mounted on carrier 314, which is slideably received onhousing 304 and is configured to move up in the direction of arrow X ordown in the direction of arrow Y. Wiper 312 may pivot in the directionof arrow T to move toward dip stick 300 or in the direction of arrow Uaway from dip stick 300.

To place wiper 312 in contact with dip stick 300, as shown in FIG. 9B,carrier 314 slides down housing 304 in the direction of arrow Y, whichcauses wiper 312 to pivot in the direction of arrow T on block 308. Asdip stick 300 is withdrawn from housing 304 in the direction of arrow X,wiper 312 then cleans dip stick 300 of excess oil. Dip stick 300 is thenreturned to housing 304 in the direction of arrow Y. Carrier 314 is thenmoved in the direction of arrow X, causing wiper 312 to pivot away fromdip stick 300 in the direction of arrow U so that dip stick 300 may thenbe withdrawn to take an accurate measurement of the oil level on dipstick 300 without being wiped by wiper 312. Detents 318 and 322, such asan indentation and receiving protrusion, may be provided to lock carrier314 momentarily in position where wiper 312 is in contact with dip stick300 and in position where wiper 312 is out of contact with dip stick300.

Turning now to FIGS. 10A and 10B, another version of the invention isshown. FIG. 10A shows housing 326 having block 330 extending toward dipstick 300. Wiper 334 is provided and pivotally mounted to carrier 338,which is slideably mounted to housing 326. Wiper 334 may be resilientlybiased into contact with dip stick 300 as shown. Carrier 338 may be heldmomentarily in place by detent 318 here. Wiper 334 is also provided withcatch 342. With wiper 334 in contact with dip stick 300, dip stick 300may be withdrawn in the direction of arrow X to clean it of excess oil.Dip stick 300 may then be returned in the direction of arrow Y so thatit may measure the oil level of the reservoir.

To prevent wiper 334 from wiping dip stick 300, carrier 338 is thenmoved in the direction of arrow Y along housing 326, overcoming theresistance to movement provided by detent 318 to a position on housing326 shown in FIG. 10B, wherein detent 322 is engaged to momentarily holdcarrier 338 in place. In this position, as shown, catch 342 of wiper 334moves into contact with block 330, causing wiper 334 to swing away fromdip stick 300 in the direction of arrow U. Wiper 334 may then bewithdrawn from housing 326 again so that the fill level of oil may becorrectly checked. After checking, carrier 338 may be moved back up inthe direction of arrow X. Block 330 no longer holds wiper 334 out ofcontact with dip stick 330. Due to its resilient bias, wiper 334 returnsin the direction of arrow T to its position in contact with dip stick300 as shown in FIG. 10A.

In addition, while dip sticks have been shown as flat, dip sticks may beround with contoured wipers to engage the round cylindrical shape of thedip stick. In this way, dip stick need not be oriented relative to thewipers as the entire contoured surface of the dip stick would be wipedby the contour wipers.

Another aspect of the invention involves a cosmetic container, such as abottle for mascara. FIG. 11 illustrates inventive cosmetic bottleassembly 410. cosmetic bottle assembly 410 has an inserter, hereapplicator 414 having brush 415, disposed in bottle 418 as shown. Bottle418 is a fluid reservoir 458 for a cosmetic fluid, here mascara 459.

Cosmetic bottle assembly 410 has wipers, such as wipers 422 and 424,which pivot between first wiping position 426 as shown in FIG. 12 andsecond wiping position 430 as shown in FIG. 11. Wipers 422, 424 areconnected to bottle 418 and are resiliently biased by springs 427 towardfirst wiping position 426, which is in contact with applicator 414 asshown in FIG. 12. Wiper 422 is connected to bottle 418 at pivot 423while wiper 424 is connected to bottle 418 at pivot 425. Within pivot423 and pivot 425 are springs 427 that urge wiper 422 in the directionof arrow A and urge wiper 424 in direction of arrow B when wiper 422 and424 are in the second wiping position 430 as shown in FIG. 11.

Maintaining wiper 422 and 424 from first wiping position 426 is block434. Block 434 comprises a frustroconical hollow insert that is sized tobe received within bottle 418, although the block need not be limited tothis form and may have other shapes. Block 434 preferably has inclinedsurface 462 that engages wipers 422 and 424 and facilitates insertion ofblock 434 between wipers 422, 424. When block 434 is withdrawn in thedirection of arrow E, as shown in FIG. 12, to first block position 442,wipers 422 and 424 move in the direction of arrow A and the direction ofarrow B, respectively, because of their spring bias toward first wipingposition 426. In first wiping position 426, as shown in FIG. 12, wipers422 and 424 contact applicator 414, including brush 415, so that whenapplicator 414 is withdrawn, wipers 422 and 424 wipe excess oil offapplicator 414. In this way, wipers 422 and 424 automatically engageapplicator 414 so that applicator 414 may be wiped simply by withdrawingblock 434 and applicator 414 in the direction of arrow E. From there,applicator 414 may be used to apply a controlled amount of mascara to aneyelash.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 12, wipers 422 and 424 are located withinbottle 418. This permits mascara wiped from applicator 414 to bereturned to fluid reservoir 458 because wiped mascara remains in bottle418. After applicator 414 is withdrawn in the direction of arrow E, itmay then be reinserted into bottle 418 by moving it in the direction ofarrow F. Now, applicator 414 is exposed to fluid reservoir 458.

As shown in FIG. 13, block 434 is releasably coupled to applicator 414by catches 484, 486, which are formed as part of cap 400. Cap 400 isconnected to applicator 414. Block 434 is shown in unreleased position454 in FIGS. 11 and 12. Cap 400 and catches 484, 486 are made of aresilient material, such as plastic. Release 446 is slideably receivedin cap 400 and may move in the direction of arrow F to apply pressure tobreak 402, which is a channel in the plastic to permit flexing ofcatches 484, 486 in the direction of arrows C and D, respectively. Toprevent applicator 414 from being wiped again, as shown in FIG. 13,release 446 is actuated by depressing it in the direction of arrow F.This action causes catches 484, 486 to bend resiliently in the directionof arrow C for catch 484 and in the direction of arrow D for catch 486.Catches 484 and 486 accordingly pivot away from block 434 to releaseblock 434 to released position 450 wherein block 434 is no longercoupled to catches 484 and 488 and consequently applicator 414. Block434 has a hollow 464 that permits applicator 414 to slide freely withinblock 434 when block 34 is released from cap 400. When applicator 414 ismoved in the direction of arrow E and lifted from bottle 418, as shownin FIG. 3, block 434 is left in second block position 438 to preventwiper 422 and 424 from contacting applicator 414, maintaining wipers422, 424 in second wiping position 430. Hence, when applicator 414 iswithdrawn, wipers 422 and 424 will not wipe applicator 414 includingbrush 415.

Alternatively, as seen from an overview, as shown in FIG. 14, wipers 422and 424 can be spaced so that they wipe brush 415 having brush diameter,BD, in varying amounts. FIG. 14 shows the position of wipers 422 and 424relative to brush 415 from a bottom of bottle 418 view. Here, firstwiping position 426 is shown closer to brush 415 than second wipingposition 430, which is still in contact with brush 415.

FIG. 15-17 show alternative wiper arrangement 476. FIG. 15 shows wiperarrangement 476 from a bottom of bottle 514 view while FIGS. 16-17 showwiper arrangement 476 from a side of bottle view. In these figures areshown four wipers, 480, which when in first wiping position 426 as shownin FIG. 15, form a resiliently biased aperture 484 (see FIG. 15), sizeda little smaller than the overall diameter of brush 415. Wipers 480 maybe firm rubber flaps or, alternatively, may be spring biased to closelike the wipers of FIGS. 11-13. Wipers 480 preferably have serratededges 482 that help clean brush 415.

Wipers 480 are movable between first wiping position 426 shown in FIG.16 and second wiping position 430 shown in FIG. 17 in the direction ofarrow E and F as described in the version shown in FIGS. 11-13 bymovement of block 434. When block 434 is in first block position 442 asshown in FIG. 16, wipers 480 are in first wiping position 430 as shownin FIGS. 15 and 16. When block 434 is moved in the direction of arrow Fto second block position 438, then wipers 480 are opened to secondwiping position 430 shown in FIG. 17. In second wiping position 430,aperture 484 is larger and wipers 480 have subsequently decreased (orno) contact with brush 415. If block 434 is moved in the direction ofarrow E back to first block position 442, the resiliency of wipers 480urges them to first wiping position 430 shown in FIG. 16. It will beappreciated that several wiping positions can be created by movement ofblock 434 at any position between directions E and F. In this manner,varying degrees of mascara will be wiped off brush 415 by virtue of thedegree of contact wipers 480 have with brush 415 as permitted by block434.

Another version of a fluid reservoir wiper assembly is shown in FIGS.18-20. There is shown cosmetic bottle assembly 500 having fluid 520, sayfor a mascara. Cosmetic bottle assembly 500 has wipers 504, eachresiliently biased to first wiping position 524 as shown in FIG. 15 andmovable by block 540 to second wiping position 544. In addition,applicator 530 with brush 535 is shown disposed in fluid reservoir 520.

Block 540, a cylinder, has threads 548 and is threadedly received bybottle 514, which has mating threads 552 as shown in FIG. 20. Block 540has integrally formed handle 556. Block is movable along block path J,either in the direction of arrow C into bottle 514 or in the directionof arrow D out of bottle 514. Turning handle 556 and therefore block 540in the direction of arrow G moves block 540 in the direction of arrow Dwhile turning in the direction of arrow H moves block 540 in thedirection of arrow C.

As shown, wiper 504 has wiper surface 560, which is angled and extendstransversely to block surface 564. Wiper 504 extends transversely acrossblock path J. Accordingly, movement of block 540 in the direction ofarrow C moves wipers 504 away from each other while movement in thedirection of arrow D moves wipers 504 toward each other. In this way,the distance X between wipers 504 can be increased or decreased simplyby turning handle 556 in the direction of arrow G or the direction ofarrow H, thereby providing a way to vary the level of wiping by wipers504.

Hence, FIG. 18 shows wipers 504 in first wiping position 524 while FIG.19 shows wipers 504 in second wiping position 544. As shown, firstwiping position 524 is closer to applicator 530 than second wipingposition 544. First wiping position 524 provides maximum wiping of brush535 by wipers 504. Second wiping position 544 may provide no wiping orminimal wiping of brush 535 by wipers 504. In this version, amultiplicity of wiping positions between first wiping position 524 andsecond wiping position 544 are available by adjusting the amount ofturning of handle 556.

Block 540 is a hollow cylinder and has hole 588 that receives applicator530. Applicator 530 may be withdrawn from bottle 514 and block 540 inthe direction of arrow D without brush 535 contacting the sides of hole588. Withdrawing applicator 530 in this direction causes applicator 530,including brush 540, to be wiped by wipers 504. Applicator 530 also hasstop 590, which is conically tapered. Hole 588 is also conically taperedand sized to match stop 590. Hole 588 is accordingly shaped to receivestop 590 and prevent stop 590 from passing all the way through hole 588to bottom of bottle 514 because of hole 588's tapering shape.

FIGS. 21-22 show another variation of the invention, cosmetic bottleassembly 600 with fluid reservoir 642 for storing a fluid such asmascara. Cosmetic bottle assembly has wipers 604, applicator 608 withbrush 614, and block 618—all shown disposed in bottle 606. Wipers 604are resiliently biased towards each other.

Handle 630 is integral with block 618. Block 618 and handle 630 arehollow to receive applicator 608, which may move along path J,independently of handle 630 and block 618 as shown in FIG. 23. Inaddition, applicator handle 638 has protrusions 650, which may beslideably received by mating holes 654 of handle 630. When protrusions650 are engaged to holes 654, applicator handle 638 is rotatable withhandle 630 in the direction of arrow G or arrow H to move block 618.Further like the version shown in FIGS. 18-20, block 618 has threads 620(see FIGS. 21-22) and bottle 606 has mating threads (not shown).Accordingly, block 618 is threadedly engaged to bottle 606 so as to movein the direction of arrow D when handle 630 is turned (directly or byturning engaged applicator handle 638) in the direction of arrow G andto move in the direction of arrow C when handle 630 is turned in thedirection of arrow H. By moving block 618 in the direction of eitherarrow C or arrow D, the distance X between wipers 604 can be adjusted toincrease or decrease the level of wiping. Handle 630 has level indicator634, which is numbered “1” through “4”, with number “1” indicating thehighest level of wiping and number “4” indicating the lowest level ofwiping. In this manner, the user will achieve a known predeterminedamount of mascara, as the maximum amount of mascara will remain on brush415 when the level indicated is “4” while turning clockwise towardslower levels “3”, “2” and “1” will result in decreasing amounts ofmascara remaining on brush 415.

Applicator 608 may be inserted in the direction of arrow C and withdrawnin the direction of arrow D from bottle 606 along path J throughapplicator handle 638 without contacting block 618 and handle 630 asshown in FIG. 23. Withdrawing applicator 608 in this manner allows brush614 to be automatically wiped by wipers 608. FIG. 21 shows wipers 604 atfirst wiping position 626. Here, handle 630 is shown at level “1”, withwipers 604 in their closest position, a distance D1 apart. Distance D1ensures maximum level of wiping of brush 614 of applicator 608 whenapplicator 608 is withdrawn in the direction of arrow D along path J. Toadjust the level of wiping, handle 630 is turned in the direction ofarrow H to a higher level, say level “3”, to move block 618 in thedirection of arrow C, which widens distance X between wipers 604 todistance D2, a distance greater than D1. At level “3”, there is lesspressure on brush 614 of applicator 608 when withdrawn in the directionof arrow D along path J. In this way, the level of wiping of brush 614can be adjusted conveniently and simply in fixed amounts and withoutmess.

FIGS. 24-26 show another version of a cosmetic bottle assembly. Here, asshown in FIG. 24, cosmetic bottle assembly 700 has bottle 704 havingfluid reservoir 708 with cosmetic fluid 712, here mascara. Disposedwithin bottle 704 are wipers 716, which are resiliently biased towardseach other. Also disposed in bottle 704 is block 720. Block 720 hasthreads 724, which are threadedly received by bottle 704, which hasmating threads (not shown).

Applicator 738 has applicator handle 742, stem 743 having stem width,SW, and brush 746 having brush length, BL. Applicator handle 742 hasprotrusions 730 that are slideably engageable to holes 734 of block 720.When protrusions 730 are engaged in holes 734, applicator handle 742 isrotatable with block 720. As in the version shown FIG. 21-23, turningapplicator handle 742 in the direction of arrow G moves block 720 in thedirection of arrow D while turning in the direction of arrow C movesblock 720 in the direction of arrow C. Movement of block 720 causeswipers 716 to move closer or farther apart like the version of FIG.21-23.

Unlike the prior version, block 720 of cosmetic bottle assembly 700comprises sealing body 750 covered by casing 754. Casing 754 is a rigidfrustro-conical shell that encases sealing body 750 and has threads 724to engage bottle 704. Casing 754 further has openings 760 that are wideenough to allow brush 746 of applicator 738 to pass through withoutcontact if moved along path J. Casing 754 retains sealing body 750 anddiscourages movement in the direction of arrow C or arrow D whenapplicator 738 is moved in these same directions.

Sealing body 750 provides a seal for bottle 704 to prevent drying andclumping of cosmetic fluid 712. Sealing body 750 is a resilientmaterial, such as silicone rubber. As shown in FIG. 25, sealing body 750has channel 776 having a channel width, CW, with first opening 768 andsecond opening 772 spaced a sealing body length, SL, apart. Due to thehighly resilient nature of sealing body 750, channel 776, first opening768 and second opening 772 is resiliently flexible between two widths,first width 784 and second width 788. First width 784 is shown in FIG.24 and is large enough to accommodate applicator 738, including brush764. Second width 788 is shown in FIG. 25 and is preferably small enoughto help prevent air from passing along path J to enter bottle 704 anddrying out cosmetic fluid 712. Channel 776, first opening 768 and secondopening 772 are resilient biased towards second width 788.

When brush 764 is inserted in the direction of arrow C into sealing body750 of block 720, first opening 768 and channel 776 enlarge to firstwidth 784 to accommodate brush 764. Because of resilient bias towardsecond width 788, when brush 764 is in the position shown in FIG. 24,first opening 768 and channel 776 sealingly encase applicator 738 whilesecond opening 772 remains at second width 788. In this position, bottle704 is still sealed by sealing body 750.

As shown in FIG. 26, when brush 764 has been inserted passed sealingbody 750, first opening 768, channel 776 and second opening 772 haveenlarged to accommodate applicator 738. However, due to the resilientnature of sealing body 750, a seal is still created along the length ofapplicator 738 by channel wall 780, which, due to the resilient natureof sealing body 750, continues to squeeze applicator 738. In this way,bottle 704 remains sealed at all times, preventing the drying andclumping of cosmetic fluid 712. Moreover, silicone rubber isnon-absorbent. Consequently, withdrawal of applicator 738 throughsealing body 750 will not affect wiping of brush 746 significantly sothat most wiping can be accomplished by wipers 716.

The aforementioned description is exemplary rather that limiting. Manymodifications and variations of the present invention are possible inlight of the above teachings. The preferred embodiments of thisinvention have been disclosed. However, one of ordinary skill in the artwould recognize that certain modifications would come within the scopeof this invention. Hence, within the scope of the appended claims, theinvention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. Forthis reason the following claims should be studied to determine the truescope and content of this invention.

1. A bottle assembly for a fluid, comprising: a bottle for storing afluid; an applicator for applying the fluid, said applicator configuredto be insertable and removable from said bottle along a path; a sealingbody configured to seal said bottle, said sealing body having a channelwidth movable between a first width and a second width, said first widthlarge enough to accommodate said applicator and said second widthsmaller than said first width wherein said channel is resiliently biasedtoward said second width.
 2. The bottle assembly of claim 1 wherein saidchannel has a first opening and a second opening, at least one of saidfirst opening and said second opening changeable between said firstwidth and said second width.
 3. The bottle assembly of claim 2 whereinboth said first opening and said second opening are changeable betweensaid first width and said second width.
 4. The bottle assembly of claim3 wherein said sealing body is configurable such that said first openinghas said first width and said second opening has said second width. 5.The bottle assembly of claim 3 wherein said applicator has a brushhaving a brush length, said first opening spaced apart from said secondopening a length larger than said brush length.
 6. The bottle assemblyof claim 3 wherein said applicator has a stem having a stem width saidsealing body configurable such that said channel width is between saidfirst width and said second width.
 7. The bottle assembly of claim 6wherein said applicator is sealed along said stem.
 8. The bottleassembly of claim 1 wherein said sealing body comprises a resilientmaterial.
 9. The bottle assembly of claim 1 wherein said sealing bodycomprises silicone rubber.
 10. A bottle assembly for a fluid,comprising: a bottle for storing a fluid; an applicator for applying thefluid, said applicator configured to be insertable and removable fromsaid bottle along a path; a sealing body configured to seal said bottle,said sealing body having a resilient material and having a channel widthmovable between a first width and a second width, said first width largeenough to accommodate said applicator and said second width smaller thansaid first width wherein said channel is resiliently biased toward saidsecond width, said channel having a first opening and a second opening,wherein both said first opening and said second opening are changeablebetween said first width and said second width.
 11. The bottle assemblyof claim 10 wherein said sealing body is configurable such that saidfirst opening has said first width and said second opening has saidsecond width.
 12. The bottle assembly of claim 10 wherein saidapplicator has a brush having a brush length, said first opening spacedapart from said second opening a length larger than said brush length.13. The bottle assembly of claim 10 wherein said applicator has a stemhaving a stem width said sealing body configurable such that saidchannel width is between said first width and said second width.
 14. Thebottle assembly of claim 13 wherein said applicator is sealed along saidstem.
 15. The bottle assembly of claim 10 wherein said sealing bodycomprises silicone rubber.
 16. A cosmetic bottle assembly, comprising: abottle for storing a cosmetic fluid; an applicator for applying thecosmetic fluid, said applicator configured to be insertable andremovable from said bottle along a path, said applicator having a brush;a resiliently biased aperture connected to said bottle, said resilientlybiased aperture having a first wiping position and a second wipingposition, wherein said resiliently biased aperture is larger in saidsecond wiping position than in said first wiping position, wherein saidresiliently biased aperture is biased towards said first wipingposition; and a block blocking said resiliently biased aperture frommoving to said first wiping position.
 17. The cosmetic bottle assemblyof claim 16 wherein said block comprises a cone.
 18. The cosmetic bottleassembly of claim 16 wherein said block is configured to interact withsaid resiliently biased aperture to permit said resiliently biasedaperture to move between said first wiping position and said secondwiping position.
 19. The cosmetic bottle assembly of claim 18 whereinmovement of at least one of said block and said resiliently biasedaperture results in movement between said first wiping position and saidsecond wiping position of said resiliently biased aperture.
 20. Thecosmetic bottle assembly of claim 16 wherein said resiliently biasedaperture has a size smaller than a diameter of said brush.